The day after Veteran’s Day found us driving back to Phoenix to fly home after a splendid five-day family gathering primarily spent hiking around Sedona and Grand Canyon. We thought at this point that the most spectacular natural and cultural wonders were behind us. We were wrong.
Our daughter, Audrey, suggested that we break up the 110-mile drive to Phoenix by taking a short walk at Montezuma Castle National Monument. We were glad that we did.
Situated along a wide bend of Beaver Creek near a grove of Arizona Sycamores aflame with golden fall colors, this monument lies in a strikingly beautiful setting. A towering limestone cliff overlooking this scene once provided dwellings for some 40 Sinagua People. Montezuma Castle was built 90 feet high onto and into this cliff. Today a restored version of the castle still remains.
Between approximately 1100 and 1425 AD, the Sinagua People inhabited this
five-story cliff dwelling, subsisting on fish, game and agricultural crops they harvested below in the Beaver Creek and the larger Verde River valley. In 1906, a National Monument was established to honor their former domain.
The Sinagua were related to the Hohokam and other indigenous peoples of the the southwestern United States. Montezuma Castle is the third National Monument dedicated to preserving Native American culture.
It was refreshing and enlightening to learn about the first human inhabitants to this area. We as a country need to honor first nations more often in the telling of our history.
Visiting this site made us proud that our nation enshrines and preserves such places. We felt the same way after visiting Grand Canyon National Park earlier in the week.
Upon arriving at Phoenix Airport, I picked up a copy of the Arizona Republic newspaper to catch up on the past week’s events. I was pleased to find the outstanding opinion piece Climate Change Hovered Over Road Trip by Chris Marvin, an Afghanistan war veteran. https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2021/11/08/climate-change-national-parks/6286845001/
His column shared first-hand evidence of climate change he saw on a recent family road trip. Martin also extolled the virtues of our National Parks, echoing my own opinion about what it means to be patriotic:
“As a combat-wounded veteran of the war in Afghanistan, there aren’t many tangible items I can show my daughters to demonstrate what I fought for overseas. Outside of an American flag or a voting booth, there are few physical manifestations of patriotism, freedom of democracy. Yet, in the national parks we can see, smell, hear and touch the very national treasures I fought to protect”
“Our national parks are a gift passed down through generations, and the choices we make about them now have long-term effects. I am sharing this legacy with my children today, and I hope that they can pass it on to their kids in the future.”
To this I say AMEN!
